Scammers Targeting Three Northwoods Counties

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RHINELANDER, WI (WSAU) — The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of an elaborate scam targeting individuals with landline phones.

The scammers have called residents posing as relatives who have been incarcerated. The caller will then say they are working through a bondsman to secure money for bail.

A person will then come to the house and collect the money.

Officers note that bondsmen are not allowed in the state of Wisconsin and officers will never show up at your home to collect money. “This is an elaborate scam that appears to be targeting mostly the elderly,” they add.

The issued the warning in a Facebook post, encouraging everyone to make their elderly neighbors and relatives aware of the situation. They add that “tens of thousands” of dollars have already been lost in the scheme, but didn’t provide a specific amount.

The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office is working with their peers in Vilas and Forest Counties to investigate the incidents. Anyone with information including a description of the vehicle or persons showing up to homes to attempt to collect money should contact local law enforcement.